Thursday, September 6, 2012

450 households in Udgur and Kadakola to be electrified using solar energy

With the entire State going through acute power shortage in recent days due to several reasons, it is not only industries who are hit hard but even villagers who depend on power for irrigating their lands, have been equally affected by the power cut, not to mention remote housholds who go without power for several days.

Realising this is the opportunity to popularise renewable energy, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) is collecting details of the villages in the district to make them completely solarised, so they can get uninterrupted power supply.

In the same, KREDL has selected two villages, one at Udgur a remote village situated on HD Kote Road and the other, Kadakola in Nanjangud Taluk to make them completely solar village.

There are around 1,000 households in both the village and after the successful commissioning of the solar power inverters, more than 450 households in these villages will be lighted up with eco-friendly, renewable and sustainable solar energy.

KREDL will be providing four lights to each household costing Rs 20,000. The villagers will get a subsidy of Rs.4000 and the balance has to be paid by them in easy installments. Villagers especially women will be educated about the importance of renewable energy and will be maintained by youngsters who have been provided with special training.

KREDL Project Engineer DK Dinesh Kumar said that because of the drastic power cuts the villagers don't get power after sunset to light their homes. 'Hence, steps are being taken to popularise the use of solar energy in all villages as it is clean and efficient. Solar energy is affordable and easily available alternative energy source. By using solar energy it will ease the domestic work as well as cut down the expenditure.'

“Even though several households in the villages have access to electricity from ESCOMs, it is of no use due to frequent power cuts. Women continue to use candles (paraffin) or kerosene lamps to light their houses, while use firewood for cooking and all these release more cabon-di-oxide to the atmosphere and are not environment friendly. Added to it women are exposed to health risks as they inhale the toxic fumes produced daily. So villagers are being educated to use the alternative energy,” he added.